Axle-lubricator.



J. N. RIGKARDS. AXLE LUBRICATOR.

LIoATIoN FILED oovT` 2o, 1909.

vPaienltad. Feb. 21, 1911.

Urin

I-` S ATES TET QFFTCE.

AXLE-LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 20, 1909.

Patented Feb. 21, 1911. serial No. 523,625.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES N. Rioxanns, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ridgely, in the county of Caroline and State of Maryland,have invented a new and useful Axle-Lubricator, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to lubricators for axles and its principal objectis to provide means whereby a lubricant can be supplied to the topportion of the axle spindle during each rotation of the hub, there beingan oil compartment about the box ot' the hub which is provided withnovel means for di recting the oil positively in the direction of anoutlet port opening into the bore of the box.

A further object is to provide an oil reservoir the outer portion ofwhich is formed by a removable cap detachably engaging a sleeve whichprojects into the wheel hub and detachably engages the box therein.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of4 construction and combinations of parts hereinaftermore ttully described and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings the pre ferred form ot the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawings, Figure l is a longitudinal section through an axle boxhaving the present improvements applied thereto, a portion of the axlebeing shown in section. Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the axlebox a portion of thewall of the lubricant reservoir being broken away.Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the reservoir, said section beingtaken on the line A-B, Fig. 1. Fig. a is a perspective view of theinterior of a portion of the reservoir and showing the deflecting strip.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates an axlehaving a tapered spindle 2 provided at an intermediate pointwith anannular groove 3, there being downwardly converging channels t in thefront or advancing portion ot' the spindle which extend from the endportions ot' said spindle to the said annular groove 3 so as to collectand properly spread over the spindle all lubricant supplied thereto. Thesaid channels also constitute means for receiving grit or otherundesirable particles and allowing them to work downward into the groove3 and thus prevent them from abrading or otherwise injuring the meetingfaces ot the spindle and axle box.

An annular shoulder 5 is formed about the axle at the large end of thespindle and has a washer G of leather or the like bearing against onetace thereof and constituting an abutment tor an interior shoulder 8formed in the counter-bored large end of an axle box 9 this box beingprovided with a tapered bore designed to receive the spindle 2. A screwthreaded stud 10 extends from the center ot' the small end of thespindle and is engaged by a nut 11 in the inner :tace of which is formeda circular recess 12 for the reception oit' a washer 13 of leather orthe like, said washer being clamped against the adjoining end of theaxle box so as to prevent leakage of lubricant from the interiory of theaxle box and back to the reservoir hereina tter described. This nut 11may be provided with a suitable lock such as shown generally at 1st inFig. 1. This lock however does not constitute any part of the presentinvention.

The axle box 9 is exteriorly screw threaded at the outer or small endthereof and has a port 15 formed in the wall thereof. This threadedportion of the axle box is engaged Y by inwardly directed iianges 16 and17, kthe flange 16 being located at one end of a sleeve 22 while thefiange 17 is arranged at an intermediate point, there being an annularcompartment thus formed within the sleeve and between the two flanges.This compartment has been indicated at 18. The

outer face of the flange 17 is contacted by the washer 13 and has acircular groove 19 into which the annular wall of recess 12 may beforced when the nut- 11 is adjusted to take up wear upon the washer 13.A port 20 is formed in the flange 17 and arranged within the compartment18 is a deliecting strip 20l which extends across the compartment 18along a curved line to form a volute partition, as clearly indicated inFigs. 2 and 4.

That edge of the strip which lies close to the axle box 9 is toothed, asshown at 21 so as to properly engage the threads on the axle box. Itwill be seen that the volute partition 20a constitutes means forproperly de'tlecting a lubricant into the port 15 in the mannerhereinafter set forth.

rlhe outer end of the sleeve 22 extends around and is spaced from thenut 11 and is interiorly screw-threaded, the said threads being engagedby corresponding threads formed upon a hollow screw cap 23 which extendsaround the nut 11 and across the end thereof, there being a packing ringor washer 24 interposed between the sleeve 22 and an annular flange 25formed on the cap. An inlet opening 26 is formed in the cap and isnormally closed by a screw plug` 27.

The compartment 28 formed within the cap 23 and the outer portion of thesleeve 22 is designed to be filled with a lubricam which is admittedthereto through the opening 26 after which said opening is closed by theplug 27. As the wheel rotates in the direction of the arrow shown inFig. 2, the port 2O in partition or flange 17 is brought into positionbelow the level of the lubricant and a portion of said lubricant willthus flow through the portand into the compartment 18. During the upwardmovement of the curved deflecting strip or partition 20, which occursduring the second half of the rotation of the wheel the lubricant isdashed against said strip 20a, and deflected into the pocket 29 formedbetween the oppositely curved portions of the strip and is thus held fora short period until a portion of the lubricant has passed through t-heport 15 and into contact with the spindle 2. As heretofore pointedout,.during the rotation of the axle box, the lubricant will becollected and distributed by the inclined downwardly converging channels4.

Importance is attached to the fact that the lubricator herein describedcan be readily applied to any ordinary axle box, it merely beingnecessary to screw thread the axle box at the outer end thereof and todrill the port 15 thereinto. A sleeve 22 can then be screwed onto theaxle box and the nut 11 placed on the stud 10 so as to hold the partsproperly assembled. The structure shown forms a perfectly oil tightchamber without the necessity of cutting away any of the wearing surfaceof the box or spindle. The lubricant is supplied automatically to thespindle as the wheel revolves and the construction of the entireapparatus is such as to strengthen the hub structure. It is notnecessary to remove the wheel in order to fill the lubricator as allnecessary lubricant can be readily supplied through the opening 26. Itis also to be understood that if desired, a washer 30 formed of leather'lor the like may be placed around the opening 26 in the cap and betweensaid cap and the head of the screw plug so as to prevent leakage oflubricant at this point.

Vhat is claimed is 1. The combination with an exteriorly screw-threadedaxle box having a port opening thereinto, of a sleeve removably mountedupon the box and having inwardly directed flanges engaging the threadedportion of the box and forming a compartment there-between, there beingmeans for admitting a lubricant into said compartment intermittentlyduring the rotation of the axle box, and deflecting means within thecompartment and adjacent the port.

2. The combination with an axle box having a port, of a sleevedetachably engaging said box and having a compartment thereincommunicating with the port, a cap detachably engaging the sleeve andextending across one end of the box, said cap and sleeve cooperating toform a reservoir, there being means for intermittently admitting alubricant from the reservoir to the compartment during the rotation ofthe box, and means within the compartment for deflecting the lubricanttoward the port.

8. The combination with an axle box having a port, of a sleevedetachably engaging the box and having. an annular compartment openinginto the port, a cap detachably engaging the sleeve and extending acrossthe end of the box, said cap and sleeve coperating to form a reservoir,there being means for intermittently admitting a lubricant from thereservoir into the compartment during the rotation of the box andoppositely curved deflecting means within the compartment and forming apocket for directing the lubricant into the port.

Ll. The combination with a spindle, of an axle box mounted for rotationthereon andV having a port for directing a lubricant onto the spindle aysleeve detachably engaging the box and having an annular compartmentopening into the port,y a cap detachably engaging the sleeve, said capand sleeve cooperating to form a reservoir, there being a normallyclosed inlet opening in the cap, means located within the reservoir anddetachably engaging the spindle, forholding the spindle and box againstrelative longitudinal movement, there being means for intermittentlyadmitting lubricant from the reservoir into the compartment during therotation of the box, and deflecting means within the compartment fordirecting the lubricant into the port.

5. A lubricator attachment for axle boxes, consisting of a sleeve havinginwardly directed screw threaded flanges, a cap detachably engaging oneend of the sleeve, there belng a port within the flange adjoining thecap and curved deflecting means as my oWn, I have hereto aHXed my signa-Within the sleeve and between the anges, ture n the presence of tWoWitnesses. said means being notched, the notches, and

the threads upon the flanges being adapted JAMES NELSON RIGKARDS' 5 forengagement with the threads upon an Witnesses:

axle box.

WILLIAM T. TEMPLE, In testimony that I claim the foregoing JAS. H.SMITH.

